In the depths of the night
by ali-brandybuck
Summary: Things aren't going all that well for Harry, he's having dreams and Sirius is the only one who can help him, but can he? (yeh theres no need to say it, I'm no good at summaries!)
1. Dusk

I started writing this today in maths, as I loathe and despise that subject so very very much, and well.I wasn't going to do my simultaneous equations now was I?  
  
Thanks to my friend who OK'd the start ^_^  
  
I think this'll be R but on the NC-17ish side of R, but then I can't be sure just now. Remus Lupin/Sirius Black, and maybe later on it might also be Harry/someone (if anyone would like to give me a hint as to who that someone could be, you're very welcome to do so). Oh, and this is totally independent of the movies, as much as they make me laugh, they're just not 'it'.  
  
I haven't read the books since the start of the year I don't think, so some of the details might be a bit (or a lot, depending on how late at night it was when I read that part off the book) off. Just bear with me k?  
  
Disclaimer: I sound my barbaric disclaimer from the rooftops of the world. No I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter, I wish I did, but then they wouldn't be fit for children now would they. No, unfortunately, or fortunately, it all belongs to the lovely fantastic brilliant J.K Rowling, for whom I have complete and utter adoration and respect, but whom I will always hate for what she did to Sirius. Oh well, writers must do what writers must do, I suppose.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
His hands hit the ground and he saw Cedric lying bleeding and mangled on the grass, he crawled over to him, not believing his eyes. "Cedric?" No response. "Cedric, Cedric wake up, move Cedric, move please move, wake up come on come ON CEDRIC!" He was babbling, sobbing in disbelief, this wasn't supposed to happen; he was supposed to be in a maze, Cedric was supposed to be competing against him for the Tri-wizard cup. Cedric wasn't supposed to be...dead.  
  
Harry pushed at his shoulder, rolling him onto his back; his face was pale and cold as steel. He bought his hand up to Cedric's face, his fingertips playing along his cheek, as they did plain, soulless white eyes snapped open, staring vacantly yet accusingly up at Harry's face. Screaming in shock and fear Harry fell back, the sound of Cedric's strained voice; groaning in pain, audible over the pounding blood in his ears.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Harry sat bolt upright, the sheets; drenched in sweat, falling to the floor. He shook violently and clumsily wiped away the tears streaming down his face; all the while staring, terrified, straight ahead. A slight noise, like the crunching of leaves, made him snap his head sideways and he stared intently out the window for a moment before a loud bark emanated from somewhere under the window. Harry's heart leapt.  
  
Another bark and a canine whimper later, Harry was at the window. After stopping first to listen for signs of life in the house, of which there were none, he threw the window open. "Snuffles, is that you?" A quiet but playful yelp some and panting. "What are you doing here?" A growl. "Ok you can't say from down there, I get it. Do you think you can climb the tree under the window without anyone seeing you?"  
  
There were some quiet padding noises and the shadow of a dog came to sit under the tree. It was not the shadow of a dog for long however, as soon there was the shadow of a man, huddled into the darkness in its place. It took but seconds for that shadow to climb the tree and face Harry, grinning in the form of Sirius Black.  
  
Harry helped pull his godfather in the window, and his feet had hardly touched the ground before Harry was hugging him, vice-like around the waist. Sirius placed comforting arms around his godson and whispered in a tired but happy voice "Hiya Harry."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
What do you think? Please review, flame if you want, I love feedback!  
  
Oh for Christs Sake! The bloody italics aren't working and the dots are going funny, bloody computer piece of s*** computer! 


	2. Worries

This was written really late at night because I have exams in 2 weeks and am studying like a good girl. Subsequently it might be a bit crap, sorry if it is! ^_^ I'm straying from the books, I know there's meant to be a certain order in action at the moment but I've decided to leave that out and just go straight to Hogwarts.  
  
Thankyou to noraseyes for being my first reviewer, I feel special!  
  
// Indicates thoughts  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Sirius, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here to see you Harry, of course"  
  
"But the ministry, the aurors, wont they be looking for you? It's dangerous for you to be here, what if you'd been." Harry's words were cut off by a low chuckle (A/N: I don't really like that word, I think it sounds too much like Santa or something, but when occasion calls) he looked up at Sirius' face, releasing him from his death-grip. "Harry calm down," he smiled, although if it was genuine, Harry could not be sure, "it's just been too long since we've been in contact...and I wouldn't have gotten caught, remember; only so many people know about our good friend Padfoot and I had Dumbledore hook me up with the information on how to contact you safely, so there's nothing to worry about."  
  
"It's so good to see you Sirius" Harry said with a grin //you have no idea how lonely I've been.// Harry sat down on his bed, reprimanding himself for that thought //of course he knows, stupid!// Motioning for Sirius to sit also, he switched the dim bedside lamp on and turned to Sirius, pulling on his glasses as he did. Sirius noticed Harry's blotchy complexion, "Harry is everything alright?" "Yeh...fine" Harry lied, he didn't want to worry anyone else about the nightmares, because that's all they were, nightmares. He was just traumatised about Cedric's death, they didn't mean anything, and his scar wasn't even hurting after all. "How about you? How's Buckbeak?" Harry asked, changing the subject. "Buckbeak's happy enough, and I get by, it's hard not being able to go outside but I manage. I've moved into the family manor, and since it was deserted, no one notices me. Dumbledore sends the occasional owl." He smiled but looked sad, and trapped. Something suddenly occurred to Harry, "Have you seen Professor Lupin?" Silence. //Don't mention him Harry, please, just...don't say his name, it hurts too much//  
  
"Sirius?" He blinked and smiled. "No Harry, I haven't seen him, but I'm sure he's fine, and he'll get in contact when he's ready. It's not easy for him you know." "I know."  
  
"Harry, what happened after the Tri-wizard tournament, you know, you can always send me a letter with Hedwig." He waited in tentative silence: "How do you know?" came the quiet reply "Dumbledore" "Oh." "I know you must be scared, with...You-Know-Who rising again, but there are a lot of people doing everything possible to keep you safe, and it's best that you keep a normal routine, so you'll be on the Hogarts Express in a week, just like everybody else. Arthur Weasley has organised to pick you up, so any brooms flying outside your bedroom in the next couple of nights, don't worry about them." "Dumbledore sent you, to say that?" Harry quietly replied "Yes, and I wanted to see you..." "Hmmm" was the only reply he got.  
  
A loud sleepy grunt sounded in Dudley's room and Harry listened intently in that direction, staring at the wall as if he could see through it. All the while he was thinking //he's only been sent to check up on me, make sure I'm ok, tell me about Mr Weasley...Voldemort's back and I'm not getting information, in getting a babysitter!// Harry turned to look at Sirius but he was no longer sitting on the bed, he was standing by the window, looking out, squinting into the darkness. There was a dark smudge on the moon, drawing ever closer; Hedwig had a message for Harry. Sirius opened the window to let her through and she soared through and landed on the bed with a soft 'hoot'. Harry untied the letter from her leg and she flew noiselessly over to her cage for a drink of water before soaring out the window again. Harry turned the thick parchment over in his hands, it read:  
  
Mr Harry Potter  
The Smallest Bedroom  
No. 4 Privet Drive  
Little Whining  
Surrey  
  
//Dumbledore// Harry thought as he opened the envelope and took out the letter contained within it.  
  
Hello Harry, and Snuffles, who I think is there too,  
Firstly I hope you've had a good holiday (Harry scowled at  
this comment). I know you don't like being kept out of the  
loop but it's just been too dangerous to send you any  
information until now. Lord Voldemort has gained many  
followers, and the threat of interception was too great;  
but now I fear that is a risk I am forced to take.  
Snuffles will have informed you that Arthur Weasley has  
volunteered to collect you tomorrow night, and I sent an  
owl to your Aunt and Uncle explaining the situation.  
(//They kept this from me?// Harry thought, angrily) We  
have arranged that you stay at the Weasley residence until  
the start of term. Oh yes, tell Snuffles I found Remus;  
finally! He was in Germany and a little worse for wear,  
but it really was imperative that we found him; he is one  
of the most skilled defence wizards there is. It's too  
dangerous to mention any more, you'll be told more at the  
Burrow. Do say Hello to Snuffles for me.  
  
See you soon  
  
Harry refolded the letter and put it on the bedside table. "Dumbledore says hi...and he found Remus." Sirius turned from his position looking out the window and looked scrutinisingly at Harry. "What?" "He foun-" "I heard you, did he say anything else about him?" "No" Harry said, downheartedly. "But I'll be told more tomorrow night when I arrive at the Burrow." Sirius was pacing, nervously in front of the window, "I have to go Harry, I really have to go now!" "No, but, we haven't talked, you only just got here, it's not...fair" "I know Harry, but I'll see you really soon; try and sleep or something." Sirius smiled at his godson, understanding his confusion. He pulled him into a tight hug before climbing out the window and down the tree, the shadow of a dog once more appearing on the ground below the window. "Goodbye Snuffles" Harry said quietly, and shut the window.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Emotions crashed over Sirius as he ran, like a waterfall crashes on the rocks below it. //Remus is back; oh god what do I do?// He was nervous and angry and scared and happy and well, ecstatic all at the same time.  
  
He enjoyed the run back to where Arthur was waiting for him, in a park, with a broomstick. There was a harness hanging from the bottom of the broom, which Sirius could sit in, as it was too risky for him to be seen in his human form, even at night in a Muggle park. Sirius climbed into the harness and Arthur kicked off the ground. "Grimmauld Place?" A bark and a nod. "OK then."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Harry couldn't sleep another wink that night, the nightmare, Sirius and the letter from Dumbledore all dancing furiously through his mind. //At least I get to see Ron soon// he thought. It was about two hours before dawn, but all Harry could do was read the letter over and over again, wondering what news he was going to hear upon arrival at the Burrow, and why Sirius had reacted so strangely to the news of Remus Lupin.  
  
The moment Harry heard people stirring in the house he was out of his room and in the kitchen in a flash. Aunt Petunia was putting some bacon strips and eggs in a frying pan and Dudley was sitting at the kitchen table, his chins wobbling as he turned around to see Harry enter the room. "Why are you in such a hurry, Potter?" he asked with a daft grin on his face. "Why didn't you tell me about the letter?" Harry demanded "What letter" Aunt Petunia replied sharply "The letter from Professor Dumbledore telling you the Arthur Weasley was coming to collect me" "Why would anyone want to collect you, we never got any letter" "You're lying!" Harry shouted angrily, "You got that letter, didn't you!" Petunia turned on him, waving a spatula in the air and screeching "Listen boy; we never received any letter, I don't know what you're talking about, so don't come in here and try and tell me what I did and did not receive, you either set the table or go to your room for the rest of the day, either way I don't want to hear another peep out of you about any bloody letter you hear me?"  
  
Harry went silent //no letter?// What could that mean, surely Dumbledore wasn't lying, he wouldn't...but then; oh no, that only left one possibility, the letter had been intercepted by someone, and Harry was willing to bet his life he knew who by. This was terrible, this meant he knew everything; when Arthur was picking Harry up, where they were going, this meant that Harry and the entire Weasley family were in mortal danger! Harry went pale, his hands shaking as the feeling of dread settled in the pit of his stomach, his scar was stinging and his mind was reeling at the thought of Voldemort at the Burrow.  
  
"What's the matter with you boy?" Aunt Petunia demanded, "set the bloody table now!" "Yes Aunt Petunia" Harry managed to squeak.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
The rest of the day was a long nervous drawn out one for Harry. After explaining the situation to his Aunt and Uncle, they seemed perfectly happy to be rid of him a week earlier than expected, having no qualms with his announcement. He only told them what they absolutely needed to know though; that Mr Weasley was coming to pick him up, and that he was in mortal danger. It seemed to delight them even more that he was, probably hoping that he would be knocked off a broomstick and they wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. (A/N: I know that they aren't really that bad, but I just needed to make them a little worse than normal, you know, for the plot and everything)  
  
Finally the time came when Harry heard the familiar swish of robes outside his window, he opened it to find the smiling face of Arthur Weasley looking back at him. "Hello Harry, good to see you safe and well" he giggled nervously "Good to see you too, Mr Weasley. What do you want me to do with my trunk?" "Ah, no problem, weightlessness charm, quite simple really." "Um," Harry began "I have an invisibility cloak, we could use that right?" "Oh, fantastic Harry, absolutely fantastic! Now I think we'd better be off, can't keep Molly waiting now can we? These last few days she's been in a terrible fuss about you." He was trying to act calm but Harry could tell he was scared. He tied his trunk to the back of his Firebolt and Mr Weasley performed the weightlessness charm. Throwing the invisibility cloak over himself and Arthur he yelled "Goodbye Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, Dudley" and kicked off the windowsill and into the air. He loved this feeling of freedom, the feeling of the wind against his face, but he couldn't help but be overtaken by a sense of dread.  
  
~~~~~~ TBC!  
  
You like? I don't really know where I'm going with this, all I know is that there will be Remus/Sirius goodness later on. I'm sorry this chapter is a bit boring, but you know how beginning plot development is. Plus it's really late at night and I can't think straight to save myself! Do tell me if you think this is crap wont you? 


End file.
